Right Down The Line
by klutzysunshine
Summary: AU. Frasier and Lilith choose to have another baby in "Lilith Needs a Favor".


**I don't own Frasier nor will I ever. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

The decision to have another baby together - even though they had been divorced for a decade at this point - was surprisingly easy for Frasier and Lilith. Although they were no longer in love, they still loved each other and adored the hell out of Frederick - he meant everything to them both, of course. Even so, Lilith was still in disbelief just a month later when the pregnancy tests came back positive. Stunned, she placed a hand on her still flat abdomen and pondered the second life she and Frasier had created together, albeit in a different way. "Oh my God," she whispered to herself before calling her OB/GYN and making an appointment to confirm. She wanted to be sure before she called her ex-husband and told him the news - Lilith refused to get his hopes up. When the blood test _and_ ultrasound confirmed her pregnancy, she immediately dialed Frasier's number.

"Hello, Lilith. How are you?" he asked, unaware of the shift his life was about to take, even though they had made this decision together. Frasier hadn't quite expected her to get pregnant so fast.

Lilith sniffled. "Frasier, I'm pregnant again. It worked!" she joyfully informed him.

Silence on the other end for a few seconds as he tried to work through various emotions. "We're having another child?" Frasier finally asked.

"We're having another baby," Lilith confirmed.

He smiled even though he was aware his ex-wife couldn't see it. "I love you, Lilith. I can't wait to meet this baby. And give Frederick my love, will you?"

"Of course. And I love you too. You're happy, right?" she checked, insecurity and fear suddenly overwhelming her. What if he regretted his decision to go along with this?"

"Of course I am. A little terrified about impending fatherhood, but we've been down this road before and know what to expect. Do you want me to fly out to Boston?" Frasier asked. He could take some time off work and help Lilith adjust to being pregnant.

"No, it's okay, Frasier, but I appreciate the thought. Maybe I'll fly to Seattle to visit in a few weeks? I can pull Frederick out of school for a few days, although I hate the thought of it."

Frasier sighed happily. "We'll figure out the logistics soon. Talk to you later, Lilith."

"Bye, Frasier." Lilith hung up the phone and a grin lit up her face. She couldn't wait to see him again and talk about their second child. She couldn't believe their relationship was now in this good of a place that they could even have another baby in the first place. The last few years of their marriage and the first few years after the divorce had been extremely rough. She was thrilled to be past that period in their lives. And every day, she regretted ruining their marriage even though it was better in the long run they hadn't stayed married for Frederick - their relationship would be even worse if they had.

* * *

Lilith kept her pregnancy a secret from Frederick (not an easy task when morning sickness kicked in but she passed it off as the flu. Mood swings were harder to explain away) until they flew out to Seattle a few weeks later - she and Frasier wanted to tell him together. "Am I in trouble?" their suddenly terrified teenager asked once his parents asked him to sit down.

Frasier and Lilith exchanged a look. "What did you do?" Lilith asked him.

"Nothing!" Frederick told them.

"Neither of us believe you but we'll get back to that in a moment. Lilith, why don't you go?" Frasier asked her.

"Coward," Lilith muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" he questioned, glaring at her.

"Nothing! Anyway, Frederick, we're here for a very specific purpose. You're getting older, and you know how you've always asked us for a sibling?" She hoped he reacted positively because she might cry (those mood swings again) if he didn't.

"Yes. Are you pregnant?" Frederick correctly guessed, completely confused. "Did you two have sex?" he shrieked.

Lilith and Frasier rubbed their ears. "Indoor voice. And no, we did not - this was planned because your mother wanted another baby and came to me for help. I agreed," Frasier explained to his son.

"Holy shit," Frederick answered.

"Language!" they both scolded.

"Sorry. So I'm finally getting a brother or sister? It only took you two over a decade," he accused, recovering rather quickly from the shock.

Frasier rolled his eyes. "Yes, we're sorry about that. You're actually okay with this?" he checked.

This time, Frederick rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Dad. Congratulations, you two. I hope it's a boy." He hugged both his parents and then went to play games in his room.

Frasier and Lilith both stood up. "Can I?" he asked, motioning towards her stomach.

"You and Frederick are the only ones who don't have to ask," she assured him as he palmed her stomach. Lilith was starting to show a bit but others could only tell if they looked at her. She felt a little self-conscious about it.

Frederick and Lilith enjoyed a wonderful four day weekend with the Cranes (and Roz and Alice) before they headed home.

* * *

The first person in Boston that Lilith told about her pregnancy was Rebecca the next day. "Congratulations!" Rebecca squealed and hugged her friend.

"That was certainly enthusiastic. Thank you," Lilith replied.

"And this was planned?" the curious Rebecca questioned.

Lilith nodded. "I wanted another baby and for Frederick to have a full sibling. I'm still shocked Frasier agreed after he initially had doubts. But we're going to raise this baby together."

"And it's not complicated?" A skeptical Rebecca folded her arms and stared at her.

"It's not complicated. This is actually rather easy. Caught me off guard with the simplicity of the situation."

"Well, Sam and I are here for you if you need anything, and I mean that. And if it's a girl, maybe you can name her Rebecca?" she tried.

Lilith sighed. "Nice try, Rebecca, but you already named your daughter after yourself. You can't con other people into it too."

"I could try." And the two of them talked all night about various topics.

* * *

Five months into Lilith's pregnancy, an apprehensive Frederick approached her. "What's the problem?" she asked her son.

"Mom, I think we should move."

She blinked at him. "And why is that?"

"Dad keeps missing your appointments, and as much as I love going with you, I think it's upsetting him. And I don't want the baby to go through what I have - it's exhausting flying back and forth between Boston and Seattle. I've been thinking about this a lot. I have a pros and cons list if you need it."

"As thankful as I that you've clearly thought about this, what about your friends? Uncle Sam is here, and you know you love spending time with him." Lilith still didn't understand why those two were so close but she didn't question it anymore - they had a good relationship. And that damn bar would never go away.

"I can keep in touch with my friends. I'll miss them but can make new ones in Seattle. And we have Grandpa and Uncle Niles and Daphne." At the mention of the latter, Frederick smirked.

"Why don't I talk to your father and you can pitch your idea to him?" she finally conceded.

Frederick fist pumped and then bolted to his room. The baby kicked, and Lilith beamed. "I'm guessing you like this idea too, little one?"

As expected, Frasier was thrown for a loop by the idea but he quickly came around to it. Even though Lilith and Frederick rejected staying with him, he found them an apartment in the _Montana_ they loved. Lilith put the house up for sale, and the group at _Cheers_ threw them a going away party before they left, something that surprised her since most of them had initially disliked her (Carla still did and gleefully celebrated her departure).

"You're actually glowing," a surprised Daphne observed upon their reunion.

"Well, I am carrying a baby. Is that so surprising?" Lilith shot back.

"A bit, yes," Daphne answered honestly.

"Are you two going to fight? Because I have to object to this," chimed in Niles.

"As much as I would like to see a cat fight, I'm objecting too because of Lilith's pregnancy," added Frasier.

Everyone stopped and stared at him. "Is bar Frasier making a comeback?" an amused Lilith taunted. She missed this side of him sometimes and wasn't sure why.

"She fought my ex-wife in _Cheers_ once and it was amusing!" Frasier defended himself, trying to look scandalized.

"I don't even know you anymore," Niles told him and stalked off towards the kitchen.

Daphne couldn't stop laughing. "I like this side of you. We need to see it more often."

"It's actually pretty irritating if you live with it for years," Lilith told her before dissolving into laughter herself.

* * *

In the fall, Daphne discovered her own pregnancy, and although Lilith was inching closer and closer to her due date, it brought the two women closer together and they actually formed a friendship. "I don't like this," Niles whispered to his brother.

"Neither do I," Frasier whispered back as they watched the two women interact.

"And all of this is normal?" Daphne asked her. Lilith and Roz were her go to people for her advice on dealing with being pregnant.

Lilith nodded. "It is, but come to me if you have any questions."

"I will. And I'm sorry I never gave you a chance before," Daphne sincerely told her.

Lilith burst into tears, setting off Daphne, and the two of them hugged each other. "We're close now. The past doesn't matter, Daphne."

"Should we separate them?" A worried Niles wanted to break this up but he also didn't want to get screamed at by two pregnant women either.

"Are you out of your mind?" Frasier couldn't believe he even dared to ask the question.

"Right, that was stupid and I apologize. No clue what I was thinking."

Left alone later that night, Lilith and Frasier debated names (after Frederick dropped a few ideas before leaving to go out with his friends). "This shouldn't be so hard!" she told him, frustrated.

He went to say something but before he could, she shut him up with a kiss. "What was that, Lilith?"

"Don't say another word," she growled.

"I'm a little turned on right now," he admitted.

"We will have sex in a moment but what did I tell you about talking, Frasier?"

"Forgive me for talking but if we do this, we're in it for good - within reason - Lilith. We have two children to think about now."

"Are you still in love with me?" Her heart pounded in anticipation of his answer.

"I've always been in love with you, Lilith. You hurt me badly but that's never changed," Frasier admitted.

"I will apologize to you for cheating for the rest of my life, but I'm still in love with you too." Lilith grabbed his hand and wanted to run to his room but had to settle for waddling.

* * *

The birth of their daughter lasted only four hours but at least Lilith didn't give birth in a cab this time around. Emma Hester Crane entered the world screaming her tiny little head off. Daphne went into the delivery room with Frasier and Lilith to better prepare herself for her own delivery and didn't regret it (she'd end up giving birth in a vet's office but no one even suspected that was a possibility at that given moment in time). "You two should make more babies," Daphne told them.

"The old fashioned way next time," Frasier immediately said and then apologized when his ex-wife glared at him.

"I just pushed a baby out of my vagina a little over two hours ago. Can we put off the discussion of another one for a little while longer?" Lilith snapped before cooing at Emma when the baby opened her eyes.

"She's tiny and cute but also really gross," Frederick informed his parents.

"You looked like that when you were a newborn too, wise guy," Frasier replied.

Daphne departed, leaving the family of four alone for the first time. "I love you, Frederick. Are you glad you have a little sister?" Lilith yawned and handed the baby over to her ex-husband.

"I am, surprisingly. But I still want a little boy."

"What did I say? Somebody needs to listen to me!" Lilith could only shake her head in amusement.

Frasier turned serious for a moment. "I just want you to know that I love all three of you more than I ever thought possible. I can't imagine my life without you, Lilith Sternin. Remarry me?"

She stared at him in shock. "Are you honestly asking me to remarry you again, when we're in a hospital after I gave birth and am a mess?"

"Yes?"

"My answer is yes, but you're an idiot," she informed him.

Frasier and Lilith invited only their family (which included Roz, Alice, Ronee, and a few friends from KACL) - and their friends from Boston - to their wedding just a short two weeks later. Neither one wanted a big wedding so a justice of the peace married them. Fourteen months later, the couple welcomed twins (something Lilith complained about endlessly after the ultrasound but was still excited about) - a boy and a girl. Named Liam Martin and Eleanor Christine, the babies immediately fit in. Since they didn't have enough room in the apartment (Frasier hated leaving it and got melancholy for weeks afterwards), they found a perfect house. Both Frasier and Lilith never once regretted their decision to have another baby (they just hadn't quite expected two more and a remarriage).


End file.
